pragmatic-programmer

SKILL.md

The Pragmatic Programmer Framework

A systems-level approach to software craftsmanship from Hunt & Thomas' "The Pragmatic Programmer" (20th Anniversary Edition). Apply these meta-principles when designing systems, reviewing architecture, writing code, or advising on engineering culture -- how to think about software, not just how to write it.

Core Principle

Care about your craft. Software development demands continuous learning, disciplined practice, and personal responsibility -- pragmatic programmers think beyond the immediate problem to context, trade-offs, and long-term consequences. Great software comes from great habits: avoid duplication ruthlessly, keep components orthogonal, and treat every line of code as a living asset that must earn its place. The goal is not perfection -- it is systems that are easy to change, easy to understand, and easy to trust.

Scoring

Goal: 10/10. Score against the seven Quick Diagnostic rows: award ~1.4 points per row answered "yes" (7 yes = 10). Then band the result:

9-10: every principle holds -- DRY knowledge, orthogonal layers, a working tracer slice, contracts at boundaries, no broken windows, reversible vendor/DB choices, ranged estimates.

5-6: 1-2 violations that cost real change-effort (e.g. business logic coupled to the DB, single-point estimates).

<=3: pervasive duplication, global state, or accumulated broken windows -- entropy is winning.

Always state the score, name the failing diagnostic rows, and give the specific fix from the Action column to reach 10/10.

The Seven Meta-Principles